Symptom onset to balloon time in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary coronary angioplasty: influence on ST-segment resolution and on mortality

Introduction

With controversy in the field, we wanted to assess the influence of symptom onset to balloon time in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary coronary angioplasty (PCA), on ST-segment resolution and on the 1-year mortality.

Methods

Retrospectively (January 1998–August 2004), we studied 558 consecutive patients with STEMI treated by PCA. The symptom to balloon time (SBT) was defined as the elapsed time between symptom onset and the first balloon inflation, and the procedural success (PS) as the TIMI III flow post-PCA with estenosis <50%.

Results

Table 1 summarises clinical features according to SBT. After adjustment of potentially confounding variables, SBT was the variable associated with less ST-segment resolution (HR 1.772, 95% CI 1.46–4.15, P = 0.02).

Table 1

Conclusion

This study shows that, in patients with STEMI treated by PCA, SBT is related to ST-segment resolution, to PS and to mortality